(former Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung mbH)

The Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH in Braunschweig is member of the Helmholtz Society, one of the two major research organisations in Germany. The Helmholtz-Zentrum is part of the health research program within the Helmholtz Society and its main focus is on infectious diseases with focus on bacterial infections. The Department of Experimental Immunology has set up a gene targeting facility focusing on the generation of conditional mouse mutants relevant for bacterial infection models. Another new facility at the Helmholtz-Zentrum is the infection challenge platform which became operational in September 2003. It houses about 6000 mice and it has a lab particularly equipped to analyse bacterial infections in mice. Attached to the infection challenge platform is a pathologist located in Hannover who is perfoming the pathology on mice after bacterial infection. The main research focus of the department is on cellular adhaesion molecules like VCAM-1, MAdCAM-1, Integrins and Selectins as well as on cytokine networks including the IL-6 cytokine family, the common gamma chain dependent cytokines, IL-10 and related cytokines as well as proinflammatory cytokines like IL-12 and interferon gamma.. The Helmholtz-Zentrum main focus is on infectious diseases. Research focuss has shifted to the mouse as the model organism to study bacterial infections. The Helmholtz-Zentrum participates in the EU- funded integrated project (EUMORPHIA) that focuses on the development and standardisation of protocols for mouse phenotyping. Within EUMORPHIA the department of experimental Immunology has developed standard operating procedures to phenotype the cells of the immune system by flow cytometry. In addition, SOPs were developed for the analysis of bacterial infections in mice. Werner Müller has organised several EMBO workshops on conditional gene targeting, 2001, 2003 and 2005, including practical work on mouse mutant generation and on gene targeting vector design and construction. 


Appointed research fellows

Experienced researcher: Michele Boniotto, Italy
Appointed on the IMDEMI project from 1-12-2005 to 31-5-2007

Early stage researcher: Fabio Pisano, Italy
Appointed on the IMDEMI project from 18-11-2005 to 16-11-2008


Publications originating from the IMDEMI project

Frommer F, Heinen TJ, Wunderlich FT, Yogev N, Buch T, Roers A, Bettelli E, Müller W, Anderton SM, Waisman A. Tolerance without clonal expansion: self-antigen-expressing B cells program self-reactive T cells for future deletion. J Immunol 181: 5748-5759, 2008. (PDF)

Ph D thesis

Fabio Pisano, Analysis of infectious diseases in conditional mouse mutants
Date of PhD defense: 5 June 2009


Publications Werner Müller
 

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